


Days of Christmas Past

by AvatarQuake



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Billy Koenig is a really good cook, Christmas, F/M, Fluff, I totally ripped off the X-Men with the title with this one, New Years
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-27
Updated: 2015-12-27
Packaged: 2018-05-09 18:25:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5550746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AvatarQuake/pseuds/AvatarQuake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daisy organises a Christmas dinner. And then Phil requests New Year's day off.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Days of Christmas Past

**Author's Note:**

> My third go at a Christmas fic.  
> Hopefully as good as I wanted it to be.  
> Tittle off the X-Men movie, because I couldn't think of one myself.

Christmas was a sad affair this year – which says a lot, considering last year – and Daisy was trying even harder to put a smile, however small and sad, on everyone's face.

Considering that she had just turned down a possible relationship when the other half in question went off saying that she was wrong to not bomb the castle and close the portal to the alien planet, Coulson and Fitz still there, she wasn't considering it as a loss, despite the sad comments Hunter had made.

She had dragged Joey and Mack and Bobbi and the Koenigs into her plan.

They had decorated the base, put up a tree and had called the agents from Iliad in for a celebratory dinner.

(It wasn't common knowledge, but Billy was actually a very good cook.)

Alisha and Andrew and the agents from the Cocoon had been flew over.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Andrew cornered Daisy when she went to see him in the white room.

“Yep. Possitive.”

“I am not stable enough. The only reason you are alive is because I know you, I reckognise you even as Lash, and Alisha because she dublicates herself.”

“Andrew. You are doing great. Joey is here.”

“I know. And I am worried I'll attack him.”

“And Lincoln is here, too.”

“Then you should leave me locked in. I will try to kill him.He is not a good person, Daisy.”

“He is a downer, but he's not so bad.”

“Daisy, trust Lash, when I tell you he will hurt you.”

Daisy nodded once.

“I will be careful.” she promised. “And you can keep Lash in check, because you are you.”

Andrew sighed and smiled.

“You see good in everything.” he told her.

“Well, you know me. After all, you're still my shrink.” Daisy smiled.

“I am due a lot of sessions with you and Phil, I hear. Alisha told me what went down.”

“I don't think Phil wants to talk to anyone. Trust me, I tried and he's like a statue.” Daisy sighed.

“ _You_ talked to him and he didn't respond?” Andrew frowned. “That's actually bad.”

“Well, I gave him space outside of missions. That's why the dinner. I had Mack call everyone in and then give them a few days off.”

“Mack?”

“He's acting Director. Phil didn't ask for the title back yet.”

“Good ideas. The dinner and giving him space. You should try talking to him more often again and I will do my best to keep from...lashing out.” he smirked a little.

“Jokes. You're taking over my bad habbits, doc.” she grinned and walked out of the room.

Phil was spending as much time as he could alone. He berely noticed the changes around the base or the agents coming in. And if he did, he didn't care much about it.

He did notice Daisy coming towards him, though.

“Phil. There you are.” she smiled.

“What?”

“Come with me?” she asked, reaching out and taking his left hand in hers.

Phil frowned. That was...new. In the way things had changed and he had shut everyone out.

“What?” he asked again, more softly now, letting her tug him forward and following her lead.

“You probably won't like it much, but I did a thing.” she said over her shoulder. “I put Joey and Bobbi and Mack and Billy and Sam in on the plan, no one else and we are gathering at the lounge and you are the only one who didn't show up.”

“What did you do?” he sounded suspicious now.

“Don't worry. It wasn't a plot to draw you out. We all just needed something...positive.”

Phil sighed behind her and got mentally prepared to face the social hell he was going to get into.

Daisy could feel him tensing up and closing off and sighed quietly. She knew he'd hate the idea. She knows he'll be sitting in a corner quiet and detatched. As if that would change what happened in the past or change a future that hadn't happened yet.

Despite all the hurting and the people they'd have wished to be with them, it wasn't as bad as Daisy feared.

A little awkward, since the people from Iliad were weary of her, Joey, Alisha and Lincoln, Andrew holding the silverware a little too tightly, throwing dark looks at Lincoln and Coulson doing his silent act at a corner, but not too bad.

After the dinner Daisy helped Billy and Sam gather the dishes while Mack and Joey did the washing.

Bobbi took it upon herself to find beds for everyone, while May and many Alishas herded Andrew away from Lincoln, who kept giving dark looks back at the other man. Daisy sighed. She had asked him to 'play nice' and not try to make Andrew lash out.

Andrew manageed to keep it in, berely, and Daisy was going to spend a lot of time helping him out to accept who he is, what he has done – because Andrew, despite what he led you believe, hated himself for those deaths – and how he can control it.

Phil slipped away after everyone was gone or otherwise engaged and Daisy shook her head after him saddly.

(Despite what she had told him, she had hoped he'd open up a little.)

She follows him, he knows she does. She's the only one who hasn't gotten it in her to let him slip back into the shadows and disappear like a ghost.

“What is it?” he sighs, stopping outside of his bunk.

“Can't I spend some time with my favorite guy?” she asked with a smile.

“You need to get out more if _I_ am your favorite guy.” he deadpanned.

“He's still in there under all the doom and gloom. I'm just very patient and very stubborn.”

“What do you want, Daisy?” he sighed in defeat.

“Come with me?”

Phil nodded once and followed her to her bunk. She had brought in some sweets and snacks earlier and they were still on her desk.

“Your secret stash?” he asked, a small smile forming on his lips.

“Yeah, kind of. Want something?” she offered. He shook his head.

“So.” he sat on the only chair in the room, as she took the bed. “Why me?”

“Because I missed Phil. And you are him. Even though you've been more Agent Coulson lately.” she told him soflty. “And I wanted to have a moment to look into your eyes without someone interupting us.”

Phil stares back at her, deep in her eyes, like he's her mirror.

“Best Christmas pressent was the last one I got from a fellow orphan in St. Agnes.” she tells him qietly. “It was mostly a gag pressent actually, because by then he was eighteen, I was fourteen and I had already learnt to walk blind.”

“What?” he looks buffled.

“Matt got me a stick after spending years of bumping into things and people and tripping up and down stairs and flat surfaces alike.” she smiled.

“It's a miracle you didn't break your neck.” he frowns.

Daisy snickered at that.

“Matt said the same thing.” she answered to his questioning look. “Hey, do you remember our first Christmas?”

“Yes.”

“Fitz had to kiss May under the mistletoe!” Daisy snickered. “I hadn't seen him more terrified for his life and I remember his scream of terror that time Tobias Ford was teleporting around the Bus.”

Coulson smiled at that.

“And last year, our first Christmas here with Trip and he brought in his mom to cook us.” Daisy said wistfully. “Had us all swing dancing afterwards.”

“You danced with everyone.” he said quietly.

“Not _every_ one. You were keeping me away. You didn't dance with anyone, either.”

“The carving was getting worse, by then. My hands were often shaking.” he shrugged.

Daisy nodded once, as if she had imagined as much.

(Phil knew she probably had.)

“It was a really sad Christmas, last year. Trip was trying too much, Jemma wasn't here, Fitz wasn't talking to anyone and you were pushing me away.” she said softly, looking away.

“Daisy...” he sighed.

“Mmm.” she shook her head. “I know. Just...this year it was as sad. More, actually. Jemma and Andrew and Trip and all of us...People who should be happy and alive and here. I wanted to meet Will, too, you know. And can you imagine the drama if Trip was still here? Trip and Will wooing Jemma and poor – or lucky – Jemma unable to choose?” she smiled wistfully.

“That would've probably taken off the edge from a lot of things.” Coulson agreed.

“And if my mom hadn't gone down the warpath, maybe Andrew wouldn't have to be unstable, she'd know how to help him. Why can't I...? He was there for me and I don't really know what to do. How can I help him?”

“You're doing a great job so far, Daisy.” he frowned.

Daisy sighed.

“I just want him and May to be happy.” she said quietly.

“What about you, your happiness?” he asked.

Daisy shrugged.

“Everytime I get attatched, shit happens and...it hurts. It'll always hurt, but I keep getting attatched to people, even though I spent years telling myself not to. Hunter told me once not to, and it's funny because when I first joined as consultant, I tried not to. I really, really did. I was spying on you and I knew I'd get caught and thrown off the team, possibly get locked up. You didn't make it easy, Phil. I got attatched, when I knew it'd hurt so, so much when the time came.”

“I'm sorry.”

Daisy smiled saddly.

“Nah, you shouldn't be. Wouldn't change it.”

“Are you trying to tell me something with all this?” he asked quietly.

“No. But if you get something from me thinking out loud, and it manages to be possitive, then cool.”

“I was five. My dad gave me my first baseball set for Christmas.” he said after a few moments of silence. “I was really small. Not for five. At five we're all more or less the same. But later, when I started school. Thought it'd help me at least gain some muscle. Didn't think I'd make the football team or stick to sports for long.”

“But why baseball?”

“At five it seemed cool.” he shrugged. “And it was easier, throwing a baseball while working on our car.”

“Yeah, I guess it was.”

“Worst Christmas?” Coulson asked.

“Hmm...when was it? Oh, right after the Brodys, 1997? First family I wanted to fit in. I was back in a month, was there for Christmas. I was almost always in St.Agnes for Christmas.” she said. “Except for the Sutters. I was with them for Christmas, my last Christmas in the system. I ran after they gave me back.”

“Good family?” he asked.

“Yeah.” she smiled. “They managed to adopt a boy and a girl, two years later. Twins.” she added. He gave her a look. “What? I keep tabs on some of the families, the good ones, make sure they're doing well.”

“Somehow it doesn't surprise me.” he said.

“They are good people, Phil. I just wanted to know they were happy.”

“I'm not judging you, Daisy.” he shook his head. “You don't need to explain to me anything.” he said looking at her softly. “And, I'm sorry.”

“I know, Phil.”

“I should have...I shouldn't have been so closed off. I made you worry.”

“All of us, Phil. We all care for you.”

“I'm sorry.”

Daisy stood up and pulled him in her arms, holding on tightly as he started crying.

“I got you, Phil.” she said. “You're not alone. I am with you.” she whispered in his ear.

He can't remember how, but they end up in her bed, Daisy holding him, as he finally caught his breath and calmed down.

“Daisy?” he asked softly.

“Shh.” she reached around and pressed a palm over his heart. “Go back to sleep, Phil.” she mumbled to his back.

“I...It's going to be hard. Opening up again.” he said softly.

“That's how it works, Phil.”

“What works?”

“Being alive. You feel things, you get hurt, you close yourself off and then slowly open up again. It's...”

“If you say ' _the circle of life_ ' I swear I will leave you without your blankets.”

Daisy snickered into his back.

“But, _Phil_...! It is!” she grinned.

“You're ripping off the _Lion King_.” he deadpanned.

Dasiy held on him tighter, rearranging the blankets more snuggly around them, too. Then she pressed a kiss to the back of his head.

“You took a step forward, Phil. It'll take time, I know. But I am here for you. We all are. Andrew can still do sessions, if you need a professional.”

Phil snorted.

“He said I was his worst patient after you. I'd rahter not put him through me while he's working on his control.”

Daisy chuckled.

“Yeah, probably best to let him get a better grip on his powers. You're stuck with me, then.”

“That's not so bad.” he told her.

Daisy smiled a little and reached up to run her fingers through his hair. Phil sighed, content.

“Now, we need to sleep.” she says softly. “Mack said most of the agents will be given some time off and since I'll be here, I'll be in charge in case of an emergency.”

“Good choice.” he whispers.

Suddenly his whole back vibrates softly, like a hum, and he half-turns surprised.

“Sorry. Thought that you were too tense to fall back asleep.” Daisy mumbled appologetically, stopping.

“No, it's fine. Just surprised.”

“Sure?”

“Yeah.”

He falls asleep feeling his body hum under Daisy's ministrations, like a guitar in the hands of a musician.

(Loose limped and too relaxed, he sounds and feels even more corny, but he doesn't care – it's _Daisy_.)

In the morning, he's still closed off, he's still staying away from most socialisation activities, but Daisy can see a ghost of a smile on his lips from time to time.

She manages to get him to watch movies with her during those five days.

He doesn't talk much, he berely makes himself known even during the movies and Daisy's sure he'd have slipped away a couple of times if she wasn't using him as a pillow.

Daisy had made sure Andrew and the Cocoon agents settled back in their base, Alisha, Joey, Lincoln and May with them the morning after the dinner and let them know that they could take Christmas day off to be with their families, if they wished.

The agents from Iliad left later and after them the Playground had emptied out.

Third day in their vacation, Phil looked down at Daisy, comfortably nested at his side with her head on his chest, and tentatively shook her. When he got no response, he sighed and smiled a little, realising she had fallen asleep.

He let himself wrap his arms around her and shift on the couch, so they ended up laying down.

“How you manage to put up with me, I don't know.” he whispered. “I'm sorry for being such hard work, Daisy.”

Daisy hummed lightly, turning in her sleep to bury her face in his chest,pressing closer to him and his wramth.

“You think we'll get New Year's off, too?” Daisy asked Coulson the morning of their last day.

Coulson shrugged, focused on the video game.

“Ask Mack.” he said distractedly.

Daisy rolled her eyes.

“Well, _duh_ , I will. But what do _you_ think?”

“I'm not the Director.” he shrugged. “I don't mind either way.”

“Mack doesn't feel comfortable in the Director's role either.” she said quietly. “I don't think it's a role to be comfortable in. Fury wasn't. You weren't. Mack isn't. I think, neither Director Carter was comfortable in the role. Even more so her, being a woman at that time.”

“What do you want, Daisy?” he abandoned the game,finally and turning to look at her.

“I'm only telling you what I believe. You used to be good at listening at me. I think that hasn't changed, even if you act like it's annoying you.”

“It doesn't annoy me. And I don't act like that. I...”

“You are a little short-fused, Phil. But not like the early days. Still broody, though.”

“I'm sorry.”

“Stop appologising. You are good. I'm only navigating around, trying to learn you again.”

“I haven't changed too much, have I?”

“No, not really. You still have a good heart.” she smiled. “Still the same man that gave a damn about a guy who needed help and got himself in a bad situation. Still the same man who gave a damn about a homeless hacktivist.”

“Still? Am I?” he asked.

“Still you where it counts, AC.” she said pressing her hand to his heart.

Phil closed his eyes and pressed his left hand over hers.

“It's you.”

“Me?”

“I want to be that man again. The Coulson you met.”

“Can you be Phil again?”

“Yeah, I think I can.”

“Then that is enough. Because that was the Coulson I met. I just couldn't call him by his name yet.”

Phil smiled softly at that.

“And what did Phil do?”

“He spent time with his agents. He showed them that he cared. He carried the world on his shoulders, even though he knew I was more than willing to take the load and help him, that his agents were ready to do that if he asked for help. He listened and talked. He shared things with me. He made the best grilled cheese ever.”

“I can do that.” he resteed his forehead against hers. “Daisy, I...”

“I know.”

Phil sighed.

“How many times I apologise, it'll never be enough.”

“Oh, Phil. Please, stop. You did your self-imposed exile. Now it's time to return home. We've been waiting for you.”

“I am home.” he said, pulling her in his arms. “You're here.”

“Oh.” Daisy breathed out, holding on tighter.

Slowly the base had started filling with agents coming back from their vacations.

Daisy and Phil had come out to greet them, Phil with some apprehension.

“How was Christmas?” Daisy grinned at Mack and the others as their close team came to stand around them.

“Quite relaxing.” Jemma grinned,hugging her tightly. “Yours?”

“Quiet and relaxing.” she replied, as she pulled May in a quick and tight hug.

Then Bobbi pulled her in a long embrace.

“Hey, rockstar.” she greeted. “Nice to know you relaxed a little.”

“Tremors.”

“Hey, Mack.”

“What? No hug for me?” Hunter inserted himself between them.

Daisy rolled her eyes at him and pulled him in a quick hug.

“There. Better?” she smirked.

“Yes, actually. Thank you.” he said seriously.

Daisy snorted at that and looked over at Phil, currently welcoming May and Mack back, who managed a smirk at her direction.

Bobbi dragged her a few steps away.

“What did you do?” she asked amused.

“What did I do?” Daisy asked confused.

“Coulson. He's almost like before the planet.” she said.

“Nothing. Just some thinking out loud, a couple of movies,played some video games...” Daisy shrugged.

“He seems more relaxed.” Bobbi said quietly. “It's good to see him relaxed again.”

“He's not there yet, but he's alright.” Daisy said with a smile, seeing him slink away.

“If anyone could break through to him, it'd be you.” Bobbi smiled.

Later that day, Phil finds her in her bunk.

“Oh, hey, Phil.” she grinns, a little surprised, because this is new, this is Phil moving on. “What can I do for you?”

“Uh...you want to watch a movie with me?” he asked shyly.

Daisy smiled up at his request.

“Yeah. I'd like that. Popcorn?” she asked.

“Sure.” he smiled a little.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It hadn't been four days before Mack gives them all New Year's Eve and New Year's Day off.

When May and Bobbi look at her after the briefing, she stares back.

“Did you ask for the two days?” Bobbi asked at last.

“Nope. Sorry. This time I'm in the dark with the rest of you.” she said.

Since she didn't know what to do, she watched her friends go, each of them taking off to spend two days having fun.

“Tremors, get out of base.I'll be here with Joey to keep an eye.” Mack said standing next to her.

“In case it escaped your notice, _boss_ ,” she smirks at that, “but I don't have any plans. Not anywhere to go.”

“Yeah, tell that to Coulson. He requested these two days.” Mack shrugged.

“He what?” Daisy turned surprised at him.

Mack shrugged again and turned to go.

“Pack a bag, just in case.” he tells her over his shoulder.

Daisy does just that,just in time too,because the moment she finished there's a knock on her door.

“'S open!” she called out as she bent to retrieve her phone's charger.

Phil comes in.

“Hey, do you want to come with me for something?” he asks softly. “Oh.” he sees her bag. “Are you going somewhere?”

“Yeah. I just don't know where yet. You didn't say.” she smirks at him.

“Oh. How did you know?”

“Mack said you asked for these two days.” Daisy shrugged. “Figured you'd knock on my door.”

Phil smiled and opened the door more, let her walk out in front of him.

“Lola.” he directed and Daisy grinned back at him.

“Not far, then?”

“No.” he shook his head. “It's just two nights.”

They loaded Lola with their bags and Phil tossed the keys to her. Daisy caught them with some surprise.

“But you can drive now.” she looked at him.

“Yes. But those are your keys. I was meaning to give them to you for some time now.”

“Phil...what...?” she looked at the keys then back at him.

Phil shrugged.

“I told your father you are the closest thing to a family I got. That I'd save you no matter the cost. And family shares.”

“Huh. That explains why dad said you're a desent guy.”

“He did?” he was surprised by that.

“Told me to 'keep you close', too.” Daisy said, amused.

“Huh.” Phil still looked surprised, as he got in the car.

“So, where to?” she asked as they pulled out and had drove some way from the base.

“There's a festival in a town nearby. Thought we could enjoy it together.”

“Sure. I'd like that.” she said. “Hey, I never thanked you.”

“About what?”

“Cloud. I found him in the garage of the Cocoon.”

“I couldn't leave your van fall in the hands of the military, or worse HYDRA, and let him end up in a scrapward.” he said, mock-indignant.

(They both knew he'd never let something happen to anything Daisy felt close to, be it a van or a person.)

He books them a room in the hotel and they spend their time out in the town enjoying the festival.

He even buys them dinner at the hotel's restaurant, in the ward among the fairy lights.

“You really didn't have to take me to dinner, too. You're paying for the room and even if you won't tell me the price, I know it's not cheap.”

“You put up with me and I haven't been easy to be around for the longest time. Just let me do this.”

Daisy sighed and smiled.

“I'm not complaining. I'm just letting you know.”

“I know.” he grinned a little. Then he stood up. “Do you want to dance?”

“You're full of surprises tonight, aren't you?” Daisy smiled, standing up.

They slow-danced among other people and Daisy noticed how relaxed Coulson was, almost like she was the one leading.

“I didn't want to be the SHIELD guy. I don't know what else I can be. What more. SHIELD is all I know.” he said quietly to her ear. “So, I asked myself; _'what would Daisy do?'_ ”

“You know I wouldn't have gone for the good hotel and the slow-dancing, right?”

Phil chuckled.

“Yeah. That's all me. But I let myself be 'just Phil'. And 'just Phil' had wanted to spend these days with Daisy. Alone preferably.”

“Well, Daisy wants to spend more days with Phil beyond these, if Phil wants to, too.”

“Yeah. He does. Even though he's scared he'll hurt her, he can't help being selfish about spending as much time with Daisy as he can.”

Daisy pulled back a little.

“Phillip don't be an idiot. You won't hurt me. You can't. And if you do, you know I'd tell you. You know I can protect myself. Whenever I disagreed with you I told you, remember?”

“Yes.”

She rested her forehead to his.

“Do you trust me?”

“ _Daisy_...You know I do.” he sighed.

“Then stay with me. Don't go away again, Phil. I missed my friend. And the team missed their director. Or co-worker.” she grinned a little at that. “But...talk to us? Come to meals and join in the games after the missions again.”

“I...I'll try.”

Daisy smiled softly.

“That's enough.”

Phil frowned.

“You should expect more of me, Daisy.” he said, baffled. “You should be pushing for more.”

“No.” she shook her head. “I want my friend back, yes. But on _your_ terms, when _you_ 'll be ready. I can wait for you.”

Phil pulled her in a tight embrase and Daisy immediatelly wrapped her amrs around him as he started shaking from quiet tears.

She moved them off the dance floor and towards the back, to a more secluded corner for some privacy.

“How can you be so patient with me?”

“Wouldn't you be with me?” Daisy smiled knowingly.

“But..it's _you_!” Phil said indignantly. “Of course I'd wait. You deserve all the good things this world can offer.”

“Well, I got lucky then. I got you.” her smile grew.

“No, no, no. You got it backwards. I am lucky I met _you_.” he shook his head.

“I disagree. You're the best thing that happened to me.”

“How can you say that? A ton of crappy things happened to you since you met me.”

“Well, likewise, Phil.” she raised his left hand up.

He stared at it for a moment before lifting it higher and cuping her face.

“You know you are an amazing person, right?”

“I...” she hesitated.

“Well. You are. And for some time now, you've been my hero.”

“Shouldn't that be 'heroine'?” she smirked.

“Superheroine.” he smirked back.

“Well. That's a high praise. After Cap, me. I mean you give me a lot to look up to.”

“No. You come first, then Captain Rogers.”

“Phil...” she choked up. “I...come on, I can't be better than _Captain America_.”

“You are to me.” he whispered.

Daisy frowned.

“Are you...trying...to propose or something?” she asked, a little suspicious.

“No.” he grinned. “But, 'just Phil' would want Daisy to know how much he values and loves her.”

“Oh.”

“And besides. I wouldn't want to celebrate our anniversary on New Year's Eve.”

Daisy snorted.

“You're that kind of romantic Phil, who would absolutely love it.” she smiled.

“No, no. I'd want it to be New Year. Start the new year with something perfect.”

“Dad would hate you so much.”

“Cal hated me anyway.” he shrugged. “I think I passed that test. Hated by the father-in-law. I don't think that happened to me before. Meet the parents and have the father hate me the moment he laid eyes on me.” he added thoughtfully.

“You were pretty smooth with the parents, then?”

“I did try to be on my best behavior, those couple of times.”

“I think he begrudgingly accepted you in the end.” Daisy smiled. “I mean he told me to keep you close, so...”

“Well, what do you know? Cal liked me in the end.”

The lights turned off around them and they heard people start the countdown.

Phil rested his forehead against hers and Daisy placed her hand on his left, still cupping her face.

“Five!...Four!...Three!...Two!...One!...Happy New Year!” everyone shouted, as Phil pressed a kiss to Daisy's lips.

“You are such a romantic.” she smiled against his lips. “Are you sure?”

“It's time I moved on. And I'd like to do that with you.”

“'Just Phil' wouldn't mind 'just Daisy' being there with and for him?”

“No. No, he wouldn't. He'd feel very lucky and spend there rest of his life showing Daisy how pefect and amazing she is and how lucky 'just Phil' is that she'd consider him worthy enough.”

“You love being harsh on yourself, don't you?” she asked.

Phil smiled sheepishly and shrugged a little.

“I promise not to do it a lot. Just when you get forced to bedrest.”

Daisy chuckled.

“Yeah, ok.”

(She knew he wouldn't, especially then, since he'd be worrying sick until she'd get back on her feet. They both knew that.)

She kissed him as fireworks lit up the nightsky.

“I love you, you understand that?” she asked him. “There's no such thing as being worthy of it. It's not exactly a choise. I didn't say _'oh, I'll love him'_. I met you and I sort of knew that it was going to be you. Something about your eyes and smile and the way you treated people.”

“I loved your voice first. I listened to your podcasts, did the research I could do with the limited amount of intel we had at the time.” he said with a proud smile, like the limited information he had on her was the best thing that had ever happened.

“Look at you.” she grinned. “You were a fan!”

“I am.” he grinned brightly. “I loved your voice and mind and the mystery of you as a person. And then I met you and loved your heart.”

“You are a sap, aren't you?”

“Too late to change your mind. You took me.” he smiled playfully.

“Hmm. Oh, well. I did, didn't I? I'll have to manage somehow.”

Phil chuckled and kissed her again, Daisy kissing back.

“Protocols?” she asked suddenly.

“No more levels.” he reminded her. “And you're a team leader. If I take back the role of director, we're on equal standing.”

“Good answers.” she told him.

“Even if that wasn't the case, I'd rather screw protocol than give you up.”

“That's even better, Phil.”

“You're such a bad influence.”

Daisy smirked against his lips.

“Bedroom?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

Daisy woke up late the next morning. She looked around their hotel room and then smiled down at the sleeping form in her arms, before she leaned and placed a light kiss on his shoulder.

“Daisy?”

“Here.”

“I...”

“We'll take it slow...er.” she said, holding on to him tighter. “One day at a time.”

“I'm sorry.”

“Don't be.” she said. “That's the healthy way. This, us, we rushed it a little, but it doesn't mean you have to be ready for more or a reppeat soon. I know that. I told you I can wait. Promise you won't brood because you think that just because we declared our love to each other and shared a bed you think you should be cured or whatever?”

“Yeah. I promise.” he smiled over his shoulder.

“Good.” she nodded. “Now, up. I need to eat and we'll berely make it for breakfast!”

“Yes, ma'am.” he smiled brighter.

They spent their day sightseing and shopping for pressents for the team.

When they returned early the next morning, Phil tried to be a little more open with the others.

They both knew it'd take time. But they had also agreed that it was something they both had.

Already the new year was looking promising.

 


End file.
